Thanks for your reply. Here is my question and I hope I explain it correctly. I am a health care worker and the other day came in contact with a patient who may have been incontinent of urine and was moving his arms about. I think maybe he touched me several times and didn't really think anything of it. Went back to the station and worked out. As I was working out I noticed something on my arm that resembled a bruise. I wiped it with my fingers and it started to wipe off so I dabbed my finger wuth my tongue and it completely came off. My question is what is the chance of me getting HIV/HEp. from something like that if in doubt it was urine(I don't think so because it resembled a smudge mark, but I remembered after that that I was touched by the pt.)I'm worried that I may have accidently put myself in harms way by touching my tongue). Please help me with this dilema.

Response from Dr. Dieterich

Mucosual exposures to blood are not even a significant risk, so skin or mucosal exposures to urine would be an astronomically small risk. Worry about something else and make sure your vaccines are up to date! DTD

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